Cigar-piercer.



Patented June 24, |902.

E TODD, 1R

CIGAR PIERCER.

(Application led Apr. 25, 1902.)

(No Model.)

Wgzsses QM )HQ/LM- cigar.

UNTTED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

EDlVARD TODD, JR., OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ClGAR-PIERCER.

SPEGIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 703,162, dated June 24, 1902.

Application led April 25. 1902. Serial No. 104,698. (No model.)

To LZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that LEDWARD TODD,Jr. ,a citizen of the United States,residingat NewYork, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oigar-Piercers; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it. appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this speciiication.

This invention relates to instruments for piercing the end ot a cigar to enable it to be smoked without cutting off the tip. The piercer is in the form of a tubular punch, which cuts a small hole vlengthwise intothe cigar for three-quarters of an inch or more. The punch is contained in a suitable case, from which it can be ejected at will and into which it is retracted by a spring.

The present invention relates to devices for compressing and locking the spring after the punch has been retracted, so as to shorten the length of the instrument when not in use and enable it to be easily carried in the vestpocket secure against accidental opening.

The invention also has reference to means whereby the spring when released will automatically lock the punch to the ejector.

In the accompanying drawings, which are twice the size of the actual device, Figure 1 is a side elevation of myimproved cigar-piercer as it appears when ready for carrying in the pocket. Fig. 2 is a similar View with the case and springin section. Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the spring released and the ejector locked to the punch. Fig. at shows the punch ejected. Fig. 5 is a complete longitudinal section of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 shows the ejector separated from the main casing and body. Fig. '7 isa cross-section on theline 7 7, Fig. 5.

At one end the piercer has a cup l to receive and center the end of the cigar. Attached to or integral with the cup is a tubular body 2, in which slides the tubular punch 3, whose cutting end4 is preferably beveled, as shown, to facilitate its entrance into the rlhe punch can be ejected through a hole 4in the center of the bottom of the cup and in line with the axis thereof, so that it will run into the cigar on an axial line. To clear the tobacco-cuttings from the punch, a clearing-rod 5 is attached to the rear end ot' the body 2 and extends through the tubular punch nearly to the cup 1, when the punch is retracted.

In order to eject the punch, a radial pin 6 is attached to it near its rear end, projecting through a longitudinal slot 7 in the body 2. At the rear end of the slot 7 is a short transverse slot 8, as shown in Fig. 6. The pin 6 extends radially far enough to engage with a longitudinal slot 9 in an ejector 10, which is preferably a sleeve sliding on the body 2. At the forward end of the slot 9 is a short transverse slot'll, and at the rear end of the slot 9 is another short transverse slot 12, running in the opposite direction to the slot 11 and having in its front edge a nick 13, as shown in Figs. 2 and 6. 'l

A helical spring 14 surrounds the ejector 10, being attached at its frontend to the body 2 and at'its rear end to the ejector 10. The mechanism is inclosed in a telescopic case, of which one part 15 is fastened to the rear end of the ejector and the other part 16 is fastened to the front end of the body.

The operation of the device is as follows: Assuming that the parts stand as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, with the pin 6 resting in the slots 8 and 12 and engaging the nick 13, a slight push to the left on the end of the casing 15 will disengage the nick from the pin and allow the ejector to be given a righthanded twist; As soon as the longitudinal slot 9 in theejector is in line with the pin the continual twisting of the ejector will carry the pin out of the slot 8 into line with the longitudinal slot 7 in the body. The ejector is now released, when the spring will throw it backward, (to the right in the gures,) the two longitudinal slots moving past the pin until their front (left) ends strike it. At this point the tension of the spring will give the ejector a further twist, thereby automatically engaging the transverse slot 11 with the pin. The parts now stand as shown in Fig. 3, and it is evident vthat by pushing the ejector forward (to the left) the punch will be ejected into the end of a cigar previously placed in the cup, as shown in Fig. 4.

IOO

On letting go of the ejector the spring Will retract the punch, returning the parts to the position shown in Fig. 3, the clearing-rod simultaneously pushing out of the punch the cuttings of tobacco. By giving the ejector a left-hand twist the longitudinal slot 9 in the ejector will be moved out of line With the slot 7 and Will carry the pin into the transverse slot 8. The ejector can then be pushed into the casing until the slot 12 comes in line with the pin, when a still further twist to the left will engage the nick 13 with the pin, as shown in Fig. 2.

Having described my invention, what I claim is- 1. A cigarpiercer comprising a body, a punch movable therein, an ejector for actuating the punch, a spring for retracting the punch, and means for engaging and disengaging the ejector and the punch.

2. A cigar-piercer, comprising a body, a punch movable in said body, a pin on said punch projecting through a slot in said body, an ejector sliding on said body and having slots to engage With said pin, and a spring attached to the body and the ejector.

8. A cigar-piercer, comprising a body having a longitudinal slot with'a short transverse slot at one end, an ejector sliding on the body and having a longitudinal slot with a short transverse slot at each end, a punch in said body having. a pin engaging With said slots, and a spring encircling said body and ejector and fastened to them respectively at each end.

4. In a cigar-piercer, the combination With the cup 1, of the body 2 having the slots 7 and 8, the punch 3 provided with the pin 6, the ejector 10 having the slots 10, 11 and 12 and the nick 13, the spring 14 attached to the body and the ejector, and the telescopic casing 15, 16.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDVARD TODD, JR.

Witnesses:

JAS. J. FLANNERY, .ALBERT W. YOUNG. 

